ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 20: Roger Waters performs onstage during his “This Is Not A Drill” tour … [+]
A new documentary titled The Dark Side of Roger Waters has recently been released, and now the man who is the focus of the movie is speaking out against it.
The Dark Side of Roger Waters, which was created and released by the U.K.-based advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism, delves into allegations of antisemitism surrounding former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters.
The documentary, which sheds light on claims of antisemitic behavior and comments attributed to Waters, features interviews with key figures from his career. Among them is Norbert Stachel, Waters’ former saxophone player, and Bob Ezrin, the producer of Pink Floyd’s renowned album The Wall. Both men are Jewish and spoke out about Waters’ alleged use of derogatory language when referring to Jews.
These allegations against Waters are not entirely new. Earlier this year, he found himself under investigation by German authorities for wearing a black leather trench coat adorned with a red armband displaying two crossed hammers during a performance in Berlin. The armband was associated with Waters’ portrayal of the character Pink from The Wall during his rendition of the song “In the Flesh,” but based off of years of claims he is antisemitic, the costume certainly didn’t help things.
Waters, a prominent figure in the music industry, has denied the allegations of antisemitism and criticized the documentary for its selective use of footage and quotations. He contends that the film manipulates these elements to advance its own agenda, ultimately resulting in a portrayal that he believes is seriously misleading.
In a post shared on his website, Waters called the documentary “a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda” and said that it “indiscriminately mixes things I’m alleged to have said or done at different times and in different contexts, in an effort to portray me as an antisemite, without any foundation in fact.”
He continued with a lengthy description of his thoughts on Israel and Palestine, and his feelings on that situation. Waters opened the missive by making clear that in his eyes, he believe that “All my life I have used the platform my career has given me to support causes I believe in. I passionately believe in Universal Human Rights. I have always worked to make the world a better, more just and more equitable place for all my brothers and sisters, all over the world, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality.”
